The present invention relates to a new and unobvious means of printing on a surface. The present invention is also directed to a new and unobvious means of forming three dimensional objects from a radiation setable material by means of a controlled scan of electromagnetic radiation or other suitable type of radiated energy such as a focusable electron beam.
In the past, printing was done primarily by means of printing plates or the silk-screen printing process. The processes of the past were directed to selectively applying ink and drying it whereas the present invention is directed to selectively curing, hardening or polymerizing a material to form a desired image or object. These prior art processes did not lend themselves to printing on large objects, such as the sides of buildings, tank trucks, billboards and other large or irregularly shaped objects.
Applicant has become aware of U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,203 which discloses a non-impact printer employing a laser beam and holographic images in which a toner material is fused to a web with the excess material being drawn from the web. There is no teaching in this patent of a setable type ink or polymerizable ink which may be set by means of a laser beam to print originals. Applicant has also become aware of U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,545-Dowling et al which discloses a laser apparatus which is used to burn alpha-numeric characters into cardboard boxes. However, no printing ink of any type is disclosed in this patent, nor is the creation of a three dimensional object disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,214-Bestenreiner et al discloses a transfer process for making color prints on paper in which a laser scanning system is used to create a thermal image on a web which is then transferred to the paper. However, a direct laser printing process is not disclosed. There is no disclosure of producing three dimensional objects.